The leading designer and manufacturer of FAA approved Tuned Exhaust systems for general aviation aircraft.

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The Need For Inspection

Some customers have commented that after installing a PFS tuned exhaust on their aircraft that the inspection joint has passed without issue at each annual. It has been asked if we, PFS, can find a way to get rid of the need for the inspection and thus lower the yearly annual labor bill.

The purpose behind the detailed inspection (taking things apart) is FAA mandated to make sure that all exhaust systems are complete and don’t have any cracks developing in the cabin heating area. Unlike the original exhaust design, our exhaust system was designed to absorb/dissipate the stress from each cylinder’s movement from heating and cooling by allowing free movement at the slip joints which is where the headers go into the center section.

Picture a trombone slide. These joints work great at absorbing the stress and vibration but they only do that when they are free to move. Once they bind-up, the stresses will still be there, but they will now go and “relieve” itself somewhere else and that could be in the form of a crack either in the header of the collector assembly. We know you can’t do a detailed inspection of the exhaust without taking the exhaust apart and so while it is apart that is the ideal time to lubricate the slip joints to keep them freely moving to give you the best safety and longevity.